Sunday 29 September 2013

ZK-CIB's

Whilst scunging through the shoe box I came across the photograph of us loading the Beech 99 ZK-CIB on the Chatham Islands. So I thought why not do a post on the CIB's - they have not had much exposure.
 
The first ZK-CIB was the Piper PA-23-235 Pawnee c/n 25-2974.
Imported by the NZ agents Airwork (NZ) Ltd  assembled at Christchurch and first registered on 25-11-1964 with its first NZ flight being on the day prior.
It departed on delivery also on the 25th to Aerial Farming of NZ Ltd of Palmerston North.
By 09-12-1968 it was in the hands of James Aviation Ltd of Hamilton.
James fitted this aircraft with the Shell Biflon spray system. I believe that part of this system involved the fitting of a belt driven rotary pump at the rear of the engine - doing away with the normal air driven pump below the fuselage. Reduced drag but also reduced engine hp from the pump drive.
Anyway James sold ZK-CIB to Wanganui Aero Work from 10-08-1971 and it is seen below at Piriaka on 27-09-1972 - still wearing some "advanced aerial spraying" script on the fuselage
and large "The Shell Biflon Spraying System" script under the starboard wing.
Below we see it at Wanganui with a slightly different forward fuselage paint scheme and what looks like "Pawnee 250" on the cowling. Yet another pic from the CMM collection.
ZK-CIB1 was withdrawn from use in December of 1983 and shipped to Australia. Its NZ registration was cancelled on 24-05-1984 for it to become VH-JPT with Justin Rowley and Capricorn Helicopters Pty Ltd at Alice Springs on 25-05-1984.
I believe it was withdrawn on 26-09-1987.
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ZK-CIB2 was a Beech 99 with the c/n U-68. This was cranked out from Beech at Wichita in 1969 and served initially as N1185C followed by N8068R, N220BH and N220RH. I won't bore you with US ownership details.
It was registered as ZK-CIB with Air Transport (Chatham Island Ltd) on 25-09-1991 and is seen below with the committee formulating a freight loading plan.
Below a larger committee is meeting beside ZK-CIB. That will be the Cessna U206F ZK-DOA in the left background and Mount Cook's 748 ZK-CWJ (I think) [Captain Williams Jalopy) out to the right.
Below is a non committee view of ZK-CIB outside the Air Chatham's hangar. Date would be July 1993. The two upper pics were shot in the early 90's.
ZK-CIB departed Hasting for Auckland and Pago Pago on 14-04-1994, reaching Oakland on the 17th.
It went to Piper East Inc as N900AR on 27-05-1994 then to N196WA and is seen below as such with Wiggins Airways.
 In February of 2004 it became N799CZ with Freight Runners Express Inc out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin where it is still current.
N799CZ in two different schemes.
Freight Runners also operate ex ZK-LLA as N399CZ. 
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ZK-CIB3 is the current listing. This is the General Dynamics Allison Convair 440/580 with the c/n of 327A.
This airframe was originally a Convair model 340-38 with the c/n of 96 from way back in 1953. It was fire damaged at Shreveport Louisiana in 1956 and was rebuilt as a model 440. It went on to have a busy life as N8444H followed by a spell as TG-MYM in Guatemala. It returned to the States for storage at Tucson Arizona and eventually returned to the US register as N8444H in April of 1992. Next move was to Canada with Kelowna Flightcraft as C-FCIB from July 1995. Next we know it is converted to a model 580. The most obvious change being the fitting of two Allison 501 turboprop engines and appropriate propellers.
She flew from Pago Pago into Auckland on 25-05-1996 and became ZK-CIB on 10-06-1996.
ZK-CIB also has the large freight door port side as seen below.
ZK-CIB3 at Chathams on a fairly average looking day - meteorologically speaking.

Friday 27 September 2013

Piper Cub ZK-BKY

Piper PA-18-95 Super Cub ZK-BKY (c/n 18-4684) entered our register thanks to Airwork (NZ) Ltd Ltd of Christchurch on 27-03-1956 - gaining its CofA on 15-06-1956 for listing to the Nelson Aero Club from 11-08-1956.
 I believe it carried the name "Fifeshire" at some stage with the Club.
The pic above was shot at Nelson on 19-04-1964,
and below, also at Nelson, in a revised paint scheme, was dated 02-03-1971
 Ownership was transferred to D J Anderson of Christchurch on 03-09-1973.
 It was parked near the old Canterbury Aero Club rooms on August the 1st 1975 when gale force winds struck.
Pic below comes from the CMM collection.
ZK-BKY was cancelled from the register on 23-01-1976.

Further Miscellany from Ardmore Today 27/9/2013

There were plenty more interesting aircraft tp photo at Ardmore today.

Carbon Crafters CC11-160 Carbon Cub ZK-CSS is locally owned.  There is a very exotic Cessna Turbine 210 in the background.

While the unique MBB Bolkow BO 209 ZK-MON was visiting from Whitianga, with a hopefully interested grandson in the background.

And PA 24 Commanche ZK-CYT was visiting from Inglewood.


Vans RV 7A ZK-RVD at Ardmore Today 27/9/2013

I was also very pleased to be able to finally photo Peter Whyte's new RV 7A in his hangar at Ardmore today.  It looks very smart in its back/yellow/white scheme.

ZK-RVD (c/n 73971) was first registered on 12/6/13.

There was another Vans being painted on the airfield - David Wilkinson's RV 8 which will be well worth looking out for.


It's the Helisika HIP HOP!

Taking advantage of my new found time freedom, a visit to Ardmore was in order after picking up No 2 grandson from Auckland airport today.

And some of what I was able to photo were a couple of Helisika dance-craft at a two different of locations.

ZK-HIP is a Hughes 369FF.  Very smart in orange.

And ZK-HOP is an Aerospatiale AS 350 B2.  Both feature Fert-Me titles.  Wonder what that is about?


Thursday 26 September 2013

Nieuport 24 ZK-MNR

These three neat photographs were sent to me by Allan Bowman and show the Ashburton based Airdrome Aeroplanes Nieuport 24 Replica ZK-MNR (c/n 1642).
 This Rotec radial powered replica was listed as N240N in the States in about mid 2011 to Steve Wood of Franklin, Indiana and was purchased by Tony Scarlett to replace the "Pink Pig" ZK-PIG2.
With its special paint scheme it still carries its old US registration vertically on its rudder.
Pics taken today.

Wednesday 25 September 2013

ZK-IMN is in town.

Christchurch town that is.
The normally Nelson based Kawasaki BK117 B-2 ZK-IMN (c/n 1018) is currently working out of Garden City's Christchurch base - hovering in whilst ZK-HJC is having maintenance carried out.
Previous notes on ZK-IMN can be seen at :-

ZK-OXB - Three tails

 At 1142 this morning, in really grotty weather conditions, ZK-OXB starts up and then began to taxi out from the Christchurch Terminal Building.
I like the miniature emblem on the winglet. 
Along the way it passed two of its work mates showing the old and the even older tails.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Airbus ZK-OXB

 Captured purely by chance this afternoon as I was dashing through was the ANZ Airbus A320-232 ZK-OXB (c/n 5682). It is seen taxiing back to Hangar Number One being lead by the Heletranz EC120 ZK-HTV3 (c/n 1041). Presumably after air to air shots.
 
Note the poor old Fairchild F27 is still lying in the background; and all the Christmas dinners in the foreground showing no interest at all.

A rear view of ZK-OXB at Hangar No1 with the EC120 still filming.
 Below is EC 120 ZK-HTV3 at work today.
For a better view of ZK-OXB have a look at:-

Helicopter Activity at Ardmore

The following helicopters have been noted at Ardmore in the last week or so:

Bell 206 JA9291 was first noted at Heliflite on 01 June this year, and it was photographed 23 September. Online resources indicate the helicopter was cancelled from the Japanese register as "exported to Australia". 

Robinson R66 ZK-HAG, the country's first R66 when it was registered in April 2011, was noted back at Ardmore 23 September and is now minus its Outgro titles for which it wore during its time based out of Dannevirke.  Ownership changed back to Heliflite earlier this month. 

Ex Austrian military Agusta-Bell 206 ZK-HMU was outside Helicopter Flight Training's hangar 23 September and it has lost titles that I think read "for hire" on the rear fuselage. 

North Shore Helicopters Robinson R44 ZK-IAN under going a maintenance flight from Heliflite back on 17 September. 

Registered to a Kerikeri address, Robinson R44 ZK-IPA was at Ardmore on 16 September. 

Monday 23 September 2013

From the shoe box. Marathon G-ALUB.

I have two small rather battered monochrome prints of the Handley Page Marathon G-ALUB (c/n 101). I suspect the shots are taken at Paraparaumu. This aircraft arrived in NZ on 02-02-1950 and was flown on scheduled NZNAC routes by Captain H C Walker and R T Mounsey.
It departed Auckland for Norfolk Island and Sydney on 13-02-1950.

 The Marathon was actually a Miles design - their first all metal aircraft - but financial ruin meant that Handley Page  took up the production of these aircraft.
G-ALUB was the first production aircraft and was registered to Handley Page on 24-06-1949 and obtained its UK CofA on 13-01-1950.
It was used for a demonstration machine. A such it departed Woodley (UK) on 14-01-1950 for a sale tour of Australia and New Zealand.
A much better view of this aircraft is below and comes from the Evening Post on or about 10-02-1950. Taken at the old Wellington Rongotai airfield.
The engines are DH Gipsy Queen 71's.
 
 Below we have a photo and blurb (in blue)from the Ed Coates collection.
"Not a super shot, but quite rare.  It is from the personal album of Ellis Trautman and shows the
first production HPR.1 Marathon at remote Forrest, West Australia whilst it was on its sales tour of Australia and New Zealand, having left Woodley on 14 January 1950.    
 Not only were no sales forthcoming in the antipodes, but, upon returning to the U.K. the aircraft was also rejected by BEA. 
This, despite it having been painted in full BEA livery and given the name 'Rob Roy'. 
 In the event, the only airlines to operate this small four engine machine (at least from new) were West African Airways Corp and Burma Airways.      
Pic above shows G-ALUB in BEA markings.
The RAF did, however, take some 28 odd of the unsold ones and used them as navigational trainers, branded as Marathon T.11s."
G-ALUB was listed to the UK Ministry of Supply on 29-08-1951 and delivered to the RAF on 28-03-1952 and given the RAF serial of XA249. It was scrapped in January of 1959.

Saturday 21 September 2013

Must see movie.

First of type. ZK-EMP

ZK-EMP2 (c/n 126) is the first of its type in NZ.
This Acrolite 1C was built by Bernie Johnston at Rangiora from the Canadian plans by Ron Wilson and is getting very close to its first flight.
Power comes from a Hirth 3003E fuel injected motor of 102hp connected to a Powerfin propeller.
As you can see it has metal wings and fabric covered tubular fuselage and fibre cowls.
Pic taken on 12-06-2013 at NZRT.
 
EMP comes from Electro Magnetic Pulse
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Interestingly the first aircraft lined up to be ZK-EMP was Fletcher FU-24 c/n 268.
However it instead became ZK-VAL for Vanair whilst still on the production line.
It later became ZK-UTE and then ZK-CRY2 and is currently listed with Superair.

ZK-EMP was then applied to Fletcher c/n 267 which was exported to Australia to become VH-MYW with Ted McIntosh. It is still current with him - trading as Yassair Pty out of Yass in NSW.
Below is ZK-EMP c/n 267 as seen at Hamilton on 03-09-1979.

 

Question time # 164 resolved.

We have a winner.
 Well folks - What we have is indeed very much like the Squiddeley Diddeley Andover/748.
But as you can now see - It is not.
The answer to the first question is "Mount" Victoria in Wellington.
 What we have is the Grumman G159 Gulfstream 1 VH-CRA (c/n 171) with its Rolls Royce Dart 529's. It first flew on 10-06-1966 and was delivered to Conzinc RioTinto which was an Australian division of BHP (Broken Hill Propriety). It went back to the States (about mid 70's I think) and became N171LS with Lear Siegler. In 1979 it became N1PC and then N728GM in May of 1980. In 1990 it went down to Venezuela and became YV-621CP followed by YV-628C. Death by decay followed.
As for a civil registration - It is actually VH-CRA but I would have paid on either VH-CRA or VH-FLO. (or maybe VH-ASJ if I was pushed). Both VH-CRA and VH-FLO were reasonably regular visitors in connection with the Bluff aluminium smelter and the Manapouri power project. VH-FLO I believe still exists in some shape or form at Auckland International having been there since about 1995 - Has been used by crash fire for training exercises.
Pics taken about late 1966, from memory, on a nice Wellington southerly day.

Thursday 19 September 2013

Question time # 164

A real nice easy chockie fish for you !
 
What is the name of the hill in the background ?
 
Oh and whilst you are at it - What aircraft type clutters the foreground ?
 
And a typical civil registration would also help towards winning said fish.

Didn't make it. ZK-EEL.

Below we have a photo from the CMM collection showing the Cessna 402A VH-ELT (c/n 402A0075) outside the Wellington Aero Club at Wellington sometime in the mid 70's 
This aircraft was used on a couple of occasions by Capital Air Services to service off shore oil and gas contracts.
I believe the Kiwi registration of ZK-EEL was earmarked for this aircraft. In the event this was not taken up and the aircraft remained as VH-ELT and continued in service back in Australia until being withdrawn and cancelled on 06-03-2013 and is now used as a training aid.

Here and soon to be here.

 Above - Already here. NAF 554 (c/n 9783034002002).This is one of six ex Nigerian Air Force Mil 34 (Hermits) recently imported into New Zealand. These are the M-14B radial engine powered versions. I would expect at least half on them (if not more) will enter the NZ civil register in due course.
They have been mentioned on Trademe for some time.
 
Below - Arriving soon from the UK.
Cessna 180K G-DAPH (c/n 53016) seen here about to be dismantled at Duxford and containerised for shipping to NZ.
Photo courtesy of Waypoints Aviation Ltd of Nelson.

Stearman Progress - II

A follow on from a previous post (http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/stearman-progress.html), Stearman ZK-PJS has been outside in the sun and was caught through the lens of agairnz on 18 September.  Plans for a first flight in NZ skies today, 19 September, have been sadly canned.